Phuket Struggles with Overwhelming Tourism Growth

From Thailand News Agency

The once pristine island of Phuket is facing a growing crisis as its rapid tourism expansion outpaces infrastructure development. Congested roads are environmental degradation are threatening the island’s reputation as a premier tourist destination.

Phuket’s main thoroughfare, Thepkrasattri Road, is notorious for its gridlock, causing significant inconvenience to both residents and visitors. This chronic traffic congestion, coupled with issues such as water shortages during the dry season and severe flooding during the rainy season, has led to widespread frustration.

“If you come to Phuket, you’ll face flooding, drought, and traffic jams. Who will come? “said Adisak Akkasinthawangkul, an advisor to the Phuket Community Network.

“It takes two to three hours to get anywhere. We, as citizens, demand a seamless public transportation system to accommodate the growing number of condominiums and other developments.”

Suksit Suvarnditkul, President of the Southern Thailand Hotel Association, echoed these concerns, emphasizing the urgent need for infrastructure improvements.

“Road and land transportation are major problems for Phuket,” he said.

“To accommodate future tourism growth, we need to expedite projects like expressways and expand our port facilities to handle cruise ships. A new airport project must be accelerated to handle the projected increase in passenger traffic.”

Despite Phuket’s continuous tourism growth, there are questions about whether this growth is directionless. Comparisons with Singapore with a similar land area, highlight the stark contrast in urban planning. Singapore’s “City in a Garden” concept has resulted in a highly livable environment with abundant green spaces with a tree density of 29.3%. In contrast, Phuket has experienced significant deforestation for new construction projects.

Continues at

https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-1404988

4 hours ago, reader said:

 

“To accommodate future tourism growth, we need to expedite projects like expressways and expand our port facilities to handle cruise ships. A new airport project must be accelerated to handle the projected increase in passenger traffic.”

 

I'd say until expressways and other infrastructure is improved they should put rather brake on expanding both port and airport facilities. 

On another hand it's amazing how fast word forgot that only 2 years ago everything was shut down and people everywhere touristy were longing to old good days of congestion , full shops , restaurants , go-go bars and crowded airports , buses and trains